With continuing development of new and better ways of delivering television and video presentations to end users, and parallel development of computerized information systems, such as the Internet and the associated World Wide Web (WWW), there have been concerted efforts to integrate various systems to provide enhanced information and entertainment systems. For example, developers are introducing integrated systems combining TVs with computer subsystems, so a TV may be used as a WEB browser.
In some systems computer elements, such as a CPU, memory, and the like, are built into the familiar chassis of a TV set. In such a system, the TV screen becomes the display monitor in the computer mode. In such a system, conventional TV elements and circuitry are incorporated along with the computer elements, and capability is provided for a user to switch modes. One may thus, with a properly equipped system, select to view analog TV programs, digital TV programs, conventional cable TV, satellite TV, pay TV from various sources, and browse the WWW as well, displaying WEB pages and interacting with on-screen fields and relational systems for jumping to related information, databases, and other WEB pages.
In some other systems, computer elements are provided in an enclosure separate from the TV, termed in the art a set-top box. Set-top box systems have an advantage for providers in that they may be connected to conventional television sets, so end users don't have to buy a new TV along with the computer elements.
In such integrated systems, whether in a single enclosure or as set-top box systems, user input is typically through a hand-held device quite similar to a familiar remote controller, usually having infra-red communication with the set-top box or a receiver in the integrated TV. For computer mode, such as WEB browsing, a cursor is displayed on the TV screen, and cursor manipulation is provided by buttons on the remote. Select buttons are also provided in the remote to perform the familiar function of such buttons on a pointer device, like a mouse or trackball more familiar to computer users.
Set-top boxes and computer-integrated TVs adapted as described above typically have inputs for such as a TV antenna (analog), cable TV (analog or digital), more recently direct-satellite TV (digital), and may also connect to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and CD-ROM drives to provide a capability for uploading video data from such drives and presenting the dynamic result as a display on the TV screen.
The present inventors have noted that with the coupling of computer technology (digital) with TV, many capabilities familiar to computer users have been made available to TV users. For example, ability to provide text annotation for TV presentations is considerably enhanced. Computer techniques such a Pix-on-Pix are now available, wherein separate TV presentations may be made in separate windows, or overlaid windows on the display screen. Separate windows may also support display from separate sources, such as an analog TV program in one window, a computer game in another, and a video conference in a third.
Still, with all of the digital techniques made available, an essential separation still remains between the computer world and the dynamic TV world. Consider, for example, how a need or desire for information occurs to an end user. A person watching a TV program identifies with a particular performer. The viewer may not remember the performer's name, but might be very interested for a time in recalling the name, and even in gathering further information about the actor or actress.
Conventionally in this situation, the viewer can wait until the end of the program, where the credits are typically displayed, usually unreadable, note the name of the performer, then (assuming an integrated system) switch modes to Browse, access the WWW, and search the performer's name, the studio name, the program name, or some other criteria, to seek the desired information. If the information desired is available somewhere in a WEB page or related database, the user may, after some effort, be able to satisfy his/her desire for the information.
One more simple example should suffice. Given a TV advertisement, a viewer may be thoroughly enamored by an advertisement for a particular item such as an automobile, and wish to purchase the item or one much like it. Given the cost of network television advertising, and the necessary time limitations imposed on purchasers of advertising time as a result, the depth of information provided about purchasing an advertised item is necessarily limited. Certain salient features may be provided, typically those that an advertiser presumes will attract a purchaser, and some general pricing information may be provided as well.
Assuming an automobile advertisement as an example, full detail of options, models, availability, pricing and financing details, and where one might go locally to examine and test drive a model of the car could not be provided. Moreover, even if full detail were provided, the viewer would have a hard time trying to write it all down for future use. See, for example, the fine print on automobile lease advertisements.
In most cases a viewer sold by a TV advertisement has to make some determined effort to actually complete a purchase of the advertised item, except for the questionable case of TV shopping channels, which are not presumed by many to be credible. Moreover, many major manufacturers do not offer products to be sold by the conventional phone-in TV shopping technique.
What is clearly needed is a further integration of the techniques of WEB browsing and TV transmission to provide a method and apparatus for a viewer to very quickly garner maximum information about entities of interest seen in TV transmissions. A method allowing a viewer to quickly and easily access information in detail about products advertised at a more general level, and about people and things of interest identified in TV transmissions.